April 27 - May 3

Well, the stats on last week:

I have been reading/listening to Romans 8, totally memorized, NOT! Giving up is not my style, which means I will continue with this chapter until it is memorized.

In the department of water intake, veggie and fruit consumption, I excelled. I only walked 10 miles of my goal of 12 miles and did not do the planned pilates. For my papers well, my brain just did not want to go there.

Life has had a few burbs and bubbles that I have had to try and work through. My husband Murray and I went on a marriage retreat this weekend and sugar was everywhere, I need to work on this one for this week. I am going to go easier on my self this week. I have taken the next two weeks off of work.

This week is designated to taking time to heal my soul, and finish my papers. Next week my husband, daughter, and I will be traveling to Victoria, B.C. The trip one way, is over a thousand miles from where I live. I will try and watch my food consumption and try to exercise as much as I can.

I believe I am in a time of starting again. It is a time of being anew with God and all that He has given. I know and believe this journey is not going to be easy but as I look to Jesus, with an ultimate goal of loving myself for God's sake, I will win this race.

Lisa,
Thank you for cheering me on. Your comment today helped me refocus. I am taking all day today to just be in God's presence. I have numerous thoughts in my head I could blog about, but contemplation in a hard journal is my goal for today. Thank you for being a friend on this journey. As I mentioned briefly there are things in my life that are hard at the moment but I believe God will move me beyond the burden of disappointment into days I can triumph over the burden.

I might write a thought tonight about being in my pajamas until noon!

On Friday before going to the retreat I decided to buy a new journal to go deeper with my emotions than just prayers and surface thoughts. I found a journal with the above picture on the front, it inspired me. I see it as the Holy Spirit guiding me and surrounding me, like Sarayu in the Shack. The Spirit is uprooting everything in my life, tossing it all around. To me it looks like chaos but I believe God knows what He is doing. My story is His story and I can trust Him as He prunes my life.

I really love the picture. A little new age, but for my creative mind it is perfect! The artist is Josephine Wall who is a new age artist but as I have said, it is soothing to my soul and captures how I view the Spirit moving in my life during this season of my life. I am also reading through James Houston's, book The Transforming Power of Prayer. It has been soothing to my soul also.

Wow, I did not think I would write this much. I am glad I am keeping this online journal. I will open it to the public when the time is right. This is a journey and I believe others will be encouraged in the future.

A new thing I am doing is drinking green tea with ginger, instead of sugary milky tea.

Love robin

April 20-26

This weeks goals:

Memorize Romans 8

Drink lots and lots of water

Watch my sugar intake

Eat lots of veggies and fruit

Monday: walk three miles (DVD) walk outside for one mile--Pilate's
Tuesday: walk two miles (DVD) walk outside for one mile
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Walk Two miles (DVD)
Friday: Walk Three miles (DVD) Pilate's
Saturday: Walk Two miles outside
Sunday: off

Finish papers for next class, and finish the third quest paper.
At work finish my class on, Listening.

God's word for encouragement:

"He (God) gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak."(NLT)

You tried; you failed. You tried again; you failed again. You tried a third time; you failed a third time. Three strikes, you're out. But hold on, that was just the first inning. The game is not over. And you have a coach who is going to see you through. How do you get power from God?

Not Giving up!

The last week has been crazy and trying to keep on track with exercise and eating right has gone out the window! I found a blog tonight that has encouraged me and that I am on the right course. The goal is not to give up!

Lisa Shaw has great ideas and is an encouragement as I continue on my journey to being fit and healthy. You can visit Lisa at her site, Living a Fit Life.

My goal is to become healthy and fit in the year 2009. I know God is going to use me to minister to others and I can not keep up with the demands of ministry when I am not in shape.

At the moment I am using Leslie Sansone's walking DVD's daily to get fit.

Tonight, I found several blogs from Christian women who are journeying through the weight loss struggle. It is great to find others to journey with.

Current weight: 195 lbs
Goal weight 135 lbs

Daily Goals for the next 30 days:

PRAY without CEASING and walk close with Jesus through this adventure.
Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily
Walk 15 miles a week and do Pilate's twice a week.
Cut down on sweets and eating out.
Connect with others in the same journey.
Blog about my journey often.
Stay connected with the sisterhood on the net.

On I go to finish this race well and tomorrow will grant another chance to stay on track.

Jesus, I desire to bring glory to You in all areas of my life. Thank you for walking with me each step of the way. I ask continue to connect me with others who I can encourage and who inspire me to keep on track! Jesus you are everything to me. Amen.

Vegan Recipe

Vegan Recipe - Black Bean and Quinoa Salad

Checkout Reduce Footprints for this great recipe!

Romans 12:1-2

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

I desire with all of my heart to follow God obediently in all areas of my life--this includes being healthy and looking after my life. My goal this week is to walk 10 miles. I would like to work up to 25 miles by Christmas 2009. At this time I weight about 195lbs, which is obese for my 5'4 frame.

I believe with all my heart to be active in ministry I need to stay healthy. I am 48years old and I desire to grow older stronger not flabby and weak. No longer will the enemy of my soul have victory in this area of my life--this stronghold is broken, God is in control. Healing and wholeness is the gift from this life long battle.

A few reasons to blog this process.

1. To be an archive for my children
2. For inspiration throughout my journey
3. To help others when I decide to post it on the web
4. To reveal God's goodness and faithfulness

A New Start

This blog has been on hold for several years. I have decided to revive it and use it to track my progress as I lose weight. Perhaps one day I will publish it.

I am not going to delete the older posts. They are fun and are why I started this particular blog, it was to be a place to gather all my thoughts...a potpourri of thoughts!

I am now to to continue writing on my potpourri for thought blog, but focused more on daily life and trying to lose weight God's way.